Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-02-25
THE WOMEN WHO TOLL.
GIRLS WHO FIND EMPLOYMENT IN
THE CIGAR FACTORIES.
The Tenement House Work" Done by
Married women-Personal Traits of the
Factory Hands - Faithful and Hard
Working Wives-Means of Amusement,

But from all appearances these girls
took no more interest in the lockout diff
flculties than they did in the courses of
the suns. Nothing seemed to occuy their
thoughts but the rough-and-ready enjoy
ment of the hour. In appearance these
girls differ widely from the tidy little shop
girl Of what might be called the Grand
street order, though only lower variety
of the same grade. They were all dressed
comfortably, but carelessly, in some in
stances approaching slovenliness. Their
hands showed the effects of rougher work
and greater physical strain than the girls
who wait at the counter. But all of them
looked healthy and some as robust as
young athletes-thick biceps, stout wrists,
square shoulders and ruddy cheeks. Such
splendid physical development was re-
markahle among young women who spend
ten hours of their working day in the
crowded. close rooms of a cigar factory.
All the girls were foreigners, most of them
below the medium height. Some of them
had very pretty faces, not, however, ex-
pressing the vivacious brightness and
alert intelligence Of the shop-girl, but
somewhat stupid when not roaring with
laughter at some coarse fun.
The factory hands are girls almost ex-
clusively, while the tenement-house work,
as it is called, is done by married women.
The girl goes into the factories at an
early age-l0 years old often times-to
learn the business. She at once begins to
earn money, not much at first, but more
and more as she becomes experienced,
until in year or two she can comfortably
support herself according to her habits of
1ifo rhnSn who haua hnrnaS
better off than those who are dependent
upon their own earnings for every little
want AS rule, the latter class are
poorly prepared for lockout or a lack of
work from any other cause, and they are
sometimes in danger, if the diffiulty is
prolonged, of drifting off into the streets.
FAITHFUL AND HARD-WORKING WIVES.
But it is a noticeable fact that girls
who earn their living in cigar factories
marry very early. Comparatively few OF
them remain single until they are 20 years
old. After girl is married she usually
retains her place in the factory until she
becomes a mother. Then she joins the con-
stantly growing army of tenement house
cgarmakers and works at home with her
husband. A man and his wife, fairly
capable and Industrious, will have no
difficulty in earning $50 week between
them. AS family cares increase the
women's fingers become less nimble, until
they are finally crowded from the ranks
altogether. Though, as a rule, but little
! fitted for domestic service, these women
make very good wives, and seldom figure
in quarrels so public as to reach the
police.
The married women save and have saw
ings bank deposits, butt the girls seldom
do. They enjoy themselves in their own
way while they are young, and police
man who is on duty in that part of the
city where they are thickest says it is a
rare thing to see one of them on the street
in the evening without a sweetheart
They make the most of the liberty they
have when working hours are over. They
have their evenings and Sundays at theiI
own disposal, with no employer to ask any
question concerning their whereabouts 81
long as they are at his premises during
working hours. The girls work hard al
day. for they are paid by the piece, ant
they must work hard to earn much
Their evenings they spend in the open al
when not in the halls. Their social meet
ings in these places never break up til
late. The girls get along with very little
sleep-seldom more than five or six hours
They impress the observer as being abun
dainty able to take care of themselves il
their independent, willful means of enjoy
ment. AS rule they are irreligious, hav
their standard of morality, and are re
CARELESS of all but their own rules of pro
priety.-New York Times.